Renfro Cemetery #1
Angelina County, Angelina County, Texas
Marker Inscription
John Folkner Renfro, Sr. (1797-1859) and wife, Rebecca Harrison Hicks (1808-1869), moved to Texas in 1839 by wagon from Missouri. In 1840, they settled in this area, known as Renfro Prairie, where they raised ten children and were leaders in the local Methodist church. The family prospered and were helpful to new settlers adjusting to the East Texas life. At least seven members of the family of Moses Warren Spivey (1829-1904), who lived nearby on Bear Creek, share this Renfro burial ground with Berry, Davis, Kirby, Payne and Renfro families. This pioneer cemetery is honored and cared for by the Spivey-Renfro Cemetery Association.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1839, John and Rebecca Renfro rolled into East Texas by wagon from Missouri, part of the great migration into the young Republic of Texas. Settling the tallgrass they called Renfro Prairie, they raised ten children, anchored the local Methodist congregation, and helped greener settlers find their footing in the piney backcountry. The burial ground that grew up here gathered the Renfros together with the neighboring Spivey, Berry, Davis, Kirby and Payne families.
Why it matters
Pioneer cemeteries like this one are the ledgers of frontier settlement, marking where ordinary families put down roots and built the communities that became rural Texas.
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Related people
- · John Folkner Renfro Sr.
- · Rebecca Harrison Hicks Renfro
- · Moses Warren Spivey
Themes & tags
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